Monthly Archives: November 2012

A Bazillion Things that Make Me Happy and Grateful

Posted on
15

I wrote this post a year ago, but it makes me happy to share it again, especially knowing I was able to add even more to my list this year. I hope you’ll share your list with me.

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This post started out simply enough; in the spirit of Thanksgiving (my favorite holiday), I thought I’d share the top ten things that make me happy and grateful. Within a matter of minutes though, my list became enormous, quickly growing from 10 to 110, then, well…you can see what happened.

My peeps, of course, are what pack my heart most with gratitude…as do my dear friends and the fact that I’m healthy and still relatively fit. Most of all though, I’m grateful that I’m still grateful; that life still feels like an outrageous gift that is meant to be celebrated each day. Here are a few more things that make me happy and grateful:

Teachers
Art
Hand-written letters
My husband’s cooking
Dining al fresco
Laughing until I cry
The view out my window
The way I feel after a long run
The smell of freshly ground coffee
Chocolate
Quiet moments
The feel and smell of a new book
Sand between my toes and hours at the beach
Learning to say, “What the hell, you only live once!” at a very early age
Random acts of kindness
Being surrounded by talented people
Books, books, and more books
Photography
Small world moments
Red licorice
Red wine
Paper stores
People who work hard at making a difference
The smell of eucalyptus trees
My daughter’s hugs
Knowing I can always stand on my own two feet
Levis
Butterfly kisses
Early mornings
Warm weather
Happy endings
Ideas
My three brothers
The Beatles
The blogging community
Writers whose words swirl into magic
Finding something I’m passionate about and diving in head first
Reading in bed on a Sunday morning
When the right words come to mind at the right time
Creativity
History
Old movies
Flip-flops
Globes
Long showers
The sound of rain
Sun streaming through my window when I write
Finding a perfect moment in each day
Quotes that inspire me
Lists
Cupcakes
A fire in the fireplace
Convertibles
Surprise parties
Airplanes that take me on new adventures
Discovering–new places, ideas, cultures, books, music
Neighbors
My daughter’s art
Roasting marshmallows
People with nice manners
When my husband brings me coffee in bed
Long meandering conversations with my BFF
Wrap around porches
Boogie boarding
Learning something new
Aspen
Typography
Real deal lemonade
Eye-crinkling smiles
The smell of Coppertone
Freshly baked bread
Helping somebody
The power of our imaginations
Getting smarter as I get older

Continue reading →

Caption Contest WINNER

Posted on
6

First of all…BAHAHAHAHAHAHA! You guys are so damn funny and clever, I love it. That’s the good news. The bad news is that it made it really hard to pick a winner for the caption contest this time.

After much deliberation though, I’m happy to crown TOM MELBERG ”Most Creative,” with his winning caption:

“Is that really John Wayne?”

Photo for Where in the World Contest 2

Congratulations, Tom! Here are the four runner’s up (in no particular order)…

CINDY BROWN: “I know we’re Indians who are really Chinese men, and we’re trying out for the cowboy parts in this movie, so we probably won’t get it, but do you at least think we’ll get a glimpse of Clint Eastwood?”

CARYL: “Think anyone noticed that we’re wearing the same boots? Seriously, call me next time.”

RODGER: ”I think she winked at us as she went by!”

NORM: “Awaiting the election result. The one on the left is a republican.”

Thanks to all of you for participating and sharing your wit. I laughed out loud at many of them!

Photo Caption CONTEST

Posted on
17

Take a peek at the photograph below and join our contest to see who can come up with the most creative caption for this image. The winner will receive a $10 Amazon gift card along with serious bragging rights for being crowned “Most Creative.”

Photo for Where in the World Contest 2

To enter, simply leave your caption in the comment box below by Wednesday, November 7th and check back Thursday morning to see who is crowned the winner. Good luck!

The Story That Was Told

Posted on
7

Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined the story below being inspired by this photograph of a woman walking along an allee of trees in France, but this is what swirled together during a “progressive story” project I posted on my blog last week. Each person added a new line or idea to the narrative, and voila, this is what it turned into…

Photo of an autumn scene with a woman walking

I never imagined I’d be here at this moment in my life, but…

Grandfather told me in his last letter that he wanted me to always be honest with myself and others. I’ve chosen today to tell my family about my partner.

I never thought I’d choose the weekend of his funeral, but here I am in the very place I swore I’d never come back to, as beautiful as I remember, and still haunted with the very things time and distance would not let me forget.

I spotted Aunt Nadine first, who always had a soft spot for me, and touched her shoulder. For a second she didn’t recognize me and I braced for the familiar pang in my gut as my eyes searched hers expectantly. But then she smiled, and I felt the moment expand with relief and gratitude.

“How are you?” I whispered quietly. Without answering me, she asked, “You are looking restless and nervous; it seems like something is hurting you from deep inside.” I stepped back, shocked that my inner turmoil was visible to others, others I haven’t seen in so many years.

Continue reading →

Favorite Five Friday: Reasons to Celebrate the End of This Presidential Election

Posted on
4

In the voting both, everybody is equal. That is why no matter how nutty our political process gets, I will always be grateful for the privilege of casting my ballot. Having said that, I will be one happy chiquita when this election is finally over! What about you?

Graphic of Favorite Five Friday Reasons to Celebrate the End of this Presidential Election

What’s on your mind this final Friday before voting? Nervous? Excited? Irritated? Drop me a comment. I’d love to hear your perspective on the process…and of course, your Favorite Five!